Til Death Parts Us
by just slummin
Summary: Co-written by the ever-talented Midnight Obsidian.Takes place shortly after the events of "Fractured" in a Mal/River storyline that began long ago with "Voices". Life goes on for the crews of Serenity and the Hit or Miss as they prepare for a wedding.
1. Chapter 1

'**Til Death Parts Us**

**Part I**

Authors: just_slummin and Midnight Obsidian

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox…again.

Rating: PG

Note: Takes place shortly after the events of "Fractured" and "Aftermath" in a continuing Mal/River storyline that began a million years ago with "Voices".

Summary: Life goes on for the crews of Serenity and the Hit or Miss, as everyone prepares for the long-awaited wedding.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal rose slowly from the chair, leaning his weight carefully on the crutches Jayne had carved for him. Marveling at the way Jayne had rigged the crutches to accommodate not only his healing leg but also to favor his damaged arm, he had the fleeting thought that Jayne had proven much more useful as a crew member than he would have guessed at their first meeting so many years ago. Back then, Jayne had been only a hired gun, just as apt to turn Serenity's crew in to the Alliance for a reward as to be of any help to them in a gun fight. And now, these many years later, Mal knew him to be a man he could count on, not only in a fight or when muscle was needed, but also as a real member of Serenity's crew. He chose not to examine too closely exactly when that change had come about, nor to question it too thoroughly. Better to accept that it was so and leave it be, he thought wryly.

Swinging his weight on the sturdy crutches, he made his way to the common area, where Adam and Daniel were playing a game, the rules of which eluded him as he watched in bemusement. As best he could tell, the object of the game seemed to be to hurl oneself with wild abandon toward another player, roll around for several minutes grappling for a dominant position, and then burst into a fit of silly giggles and dissolve into an untidy heap in the middle of the floor. However, what it lacked in elegance it made up for with sheer exuberance.

Obviously too little to engage in this particular recreation, Hannah sat cross-legged on the couch, chewing her finger thoughtfully as she looked on. "So, baby girl," Mal said, smiling at his youngest. "Who's winning?"

Hannah removed her soggy finger from her mouth to answer. "Can't tell," she said, grinning widely. She held up her arms. "Go for a ride?"

As badly as it pained him to do so, he shook his head. "Daddy's not strong enough yet to hold you up, baby. Maybehaps in a few more days."

Hannah's face scrunched up in the universal expression of young disapproval. "Unca Simon's s'posed to make you all better," she said darkly, her bottom lip threatening to hit the floor at any moment.

Seeing an easy way out, Mal took it. "Could be you'd best take that up with Uncle Simon," he said smoothly.

Hannah slid off the couch, a girl on a mission. "I will, Daddy," she declared, looking for all the 'verse like her mother in her most determined mode.

Mal nodded. Watching her go, he grinned at the thought of what fury he had just unleashed on his unsuspecting brother-in-law.

"That was mean," Adam said, righting himself as he managed to climb out from under Daniel.

"Think so?" Mal asked, grinning at his son.

"I know so," Adam replied, returning the grin as he straightened up his suspenders. His attention thus momentarily diverted, he did not see Daniel's leap until the boy had knocked him back down to the floor with a satisfied squeal.

Thinking that if someone were to sail into him like that in his current condition, he would more than likely be crippled for life, Mal settled down on the recently vacated couch to watch the boys play.

XXXXXXXXXX

Anya stared at the Cortex screen wistfully, her blue eyes sparkling. "I don't know, Jared. I'd love to go to the dance with you and all, but…well, we're still stuck on Greenleaf and Osiris is such a long way away."

A slight frown creased the boy's normally handsome face. "But Anya, if you can't go with me…well, I'll either have to stay home or take some other girl." He paused for a moment. "And it's the biggest dance of the year. Everybody'll be there." He let that thought hang in the air between them momentarily. "And you could wear a fancy dress. I lie awake nights thinking about you in a fancy dress." He ducked his head a little shyly.

Anya's heart fluttered in her chest with the idea that Jared thought of her in the night watches. Just barely a teen now and, as always, mature for her age, she was feeling the heat of her first crush on a boy of an appropriate age. Her feelings for Jared were much different than the notions she had harbored for Pierre, the much older pilot of the Hit or Miss. Jared was young, just a couple of years older than she and hence, to her way of thinking, quite possibly the most entrancing boy on any world spinning. And the thought that he might think of her in a similar way made her knees go strangely weak.

"Come on, Anya. Talk to your Captain. I'm sure he'd let you come, if you ask him just right," Jared pleaded. "After all, nobody can resist those blue eyes of yours." His own green eyes twinkled invitingly.

Anya bit her lip anxiously. "Captain Mal is still hurt terrible bad," she said softly. "Dr. Simon says he'll be a long time in healing, what with the broken bones and all. And then, there's Mama to consider." She paused dramatically. "Mama's not so sure that you and me should be seeing all that much of each other. You know she won't even let us wave one another but twice a month."

"She'd like me if she got to know me," Jared said with a certainty borne of youthful optimism. "And I'm bound to like her, if she's anything like her daughter."

Anya blushed with the compliment, wondering how it was that Jared could always make her feel so special with just a few words. But in a moment, reality reared its ugly head. "I don't think she would agree to it, Jared," she said reluctantly. "And I'm pretty sure that Captain Mal won't make a trip all the way to Osiris for me to go to a dance."

Jared leaned forward, practically pressing his face to the Cortex screen. "Please, Anya," he said earnestly. "Please find a way to come…for me?"

Anya sighed. "I'll try, Jared. But I can't promise anything…okay?"

Jared nodded. "I know you can do it somehow," he said. "You've just got to."

Zoe's voice wafted up to the bridge. "Time to be saying your good-byes, Anya," she called firmly. "Been talkin' to that boy long enough."

Drawing in a deep breath, Anya made a face. "I guess you heard her," she said to Jared. "I gotta go."

"Just think about what I said," Jared begged. "Please?"

Anya nodded quickly, hearing her mother's footsteps heading to the bridge. "I will. I promise. 'Bye now."

She reached quickly to cut the transmission before Zoe entered the bridge, her heart heavy with the effort of saying good-bye to her young love.

XXXXXXXXXX

"And that," Elizabeth murmured, bent over Pierre's face and surveying her last tiny suture carefully. "..is that."

Simon nodded, examining the fine work carefully. "It would seem so," he agreed.

"Would have been better if he had allowed you to handle these last surgeries while I was…" Elizabeth paused, swallowing thickly as she thought about the reason for her recent absence. She was still regaining her emotional balance after the ordeal with the madman she and Mal had encountered a scant month earlier. "When I was gone," she finished a little unsteadily.

"Well, he wouldn't hear of it," Simon replied blandly. "Flatly refused to let anyone else touch your work."

Elizabeth blushed slightly. "I'm ashamed to admit that a small part of me is flattered by his stubbornness," she said. "I just hope that it hasn't cost him more than he could afford to lose."

Simon shook his head. "I don't think it did. At least, I would be surprised if it did, considering how everything looks at this point. With a little luck, the residual scarring should be minimal."

Elizabeth nodded, her gloved fingers gently moving over the newly applied skin of Pierre's face. "He wouldn't ever show me a vid of himself, prior to his run-in with Niska," she said.

"You asked?"

"I did," she answered. "But he was not forthcoming about it. I had hoped to reconstruct as much of his original look as I could, but he seems content with the way things are shaping up so far."

Simon smiled. Trying to smooth the tiny wrinkle of worry on her brow, he said, "Perhaps he was not so handsome before. It could be that what you've done here is a vast improvement to what nature provided him originally."

Elizabeth smiled, grateful for the lighter moment. "Perhaps," she agreed, though inwardly she had the suspicion that Pierre had once been a very handsome man indeed. "Regardless," she continued. "All things considered, I think we've done well here." And turning to the monitors attached to the pilot of the Hit or Miss, she began the work of bringing him out of sedation.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Makes me want a little girl, is all," Kaylee said a little wistfully. "Seeing her all happy and mooning about over that Jared."

Inara smiled. "I'm not certain Zoe would agree that it is all that easy to rear a daughter, especially now that Anya is maturing."

Kaylee sighed happily. "I think it's sweet," she insisted. "A young girl, with her first boyfriend. Makes me go all melty just thinking about it." She paused for a moment, remembering her own first serious crush.

Drawing the brush smoothly through Kaylee's unruly tresses, Inara laughed. "One would think that after a marriage and a child, you would be finished with all these romantic delusions."

"Nope," Kaylee replied. "Ain't never gonna be, if'n I can help it."

"I'm sure that makes Simon very happy."

Kaylee giggled, sounding very much like a schoolgirl. For a fleeting moment, Inara felt a twinge of something akin to jealousy. At the time other girls might have been experiencing their first romantic feelings, Inara had been already in training as a Companion, her own desires strictly held in check in pursuit of attaining flawless control. And though that control had eventually led her to become a much sought after Companion, she now saw more clearly the cost of that pursuit. And watching Anya, coming into her own as a young woman, Inara felt a strange sense of loss.

Pushing the thought from her mind, she continued, "Still, I'm a little concerned about Anya. Zoe is not….exactly…." She paused delicately.

Kaylee nodded. "She ain't happy with that boy," she observed. "Seems like a nice enough boy to me, but she's just so…strict about it. And 'less I miss my guess, that just makes 'im look all the more invitin' to Anya."

"I don't think she has an objection to Jared, per se," Inara said. "Just to the thought of Anya being old enough to begin to have such feelings. And it doesn't help that Mal is so opposed to the whole thing."

Kaylee snorted. "If t'were up to the Capt'n, I prob'ly wouldn't be married to Simon yet. Would be walkin' around in pigtails, pure as the driven snow."

"If I recall the story correctly, Mal knew when he first met you that you were not 'pure as the driven snow'," Inara laughed.

Kaylee grinned, her green eyes twinkling at the memory. "Bester was very swai," she said, reminiscing. "But nowhere near as swai as Simon," she added hastily.

"I would have to agree," Inara replied, setting the brush aside and settling down on the couch beside her friend.

"So, have you thought about talking with Zoe about the thing with Anya?" Kaylee asked.

Inara shook her head. "Truthfully, I've been a little…reluctant to broach the subject," she admitted ruefully. "Zoe is not exactly open to discussing private issues."

"I tried," Kaylee said. "You know, just by way of easin' things a mite."

"And?"

"And she shut me down," Kaylee admitted. "Just gave me one of those looks….you know the one?"

"The one that makes you glad she doesn't usually wear the Mare's leg on the ship?" Inara suggested.

"That's the one," Kaylee confirmed.

"What about Jim?" Inara asked.

"Pretty much the same," Kaylee answered.

"Ah," Inara replied, for the moment very pleased not to have a teenaged daughter with which to contend. Buddha only knew how Jayne would react to a young suitor for a daughter of his. Inara could only assume that bloodshed would be involved.

"Anyways, guess I'd best get back to work," Kaylee said, standing reluctantly to leave. "Still got a ways to go on the overhaul."

"Give Murdocke my best," Inara said dryly, not bothering to hide her mild dislike of the acerbic engineer.

"Will do," Kaylee replied, blithely ignoring Inara's slightly negative tone. To her way of thinking, the talented man was shiny enough for anyone's company…once a person got past his prickly exterior.

Inara watched the cheerful mechanic bouncing happily out of the shuttle and wondered momentarily how it would be to live life with so much optimism. Thoughtfully, she picked up the brush and ran it through her own carefully coiffed tresses.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

'**Til Death Parts Us**

**Part II**

Authors: just_slummin and Midnight Obsidian

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: Anya asks a favor of Mal, and Marcus plans a job.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal's eyes narrowed as he watched Anya heading toward him. He recognized the look on her face, the one that usually ended up with him agreeing to something he did not want to do but would do anyway to keep her happy. He suppressed a sigh.

"Captain Mal," she began sweetly, causing him to wonder at what point she had added feminine wiles to her arsenal of already formidable persuasive weaponry.

"Um hmm," he said as noncommittally as he could manage.

Anya paused, waiting for him to look up at her. When at last their eyes met, she smiled softly. "I was just wondering…"

"Hold on," Mal said, raising a hand in self-defense. "Whatever it is you're 'bout to ask, have you already asked your Mama? And if so, what did she say?"

"I haven't asked Mama anything yet," Anya said, widening her eyes innocently.

"On accounta' you know she'll say no…right?" Mal asked. "'Cause I ain't over-fond of the idea of gettin' into the middle of things, if that's the case."

Anya could not suppress the eye roll requisite of all teens. "You always get into the middle of everything on this boat, Captain Mal," she pointed out. She paused for a moment, regaining her sweet demeanor. "Anyway, I haven't asked Mama because it's not something she has authority over."

One of Mal's eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline. "Ain't a thing on this boat your Mama don't have authority over, best I can tell," he replied wryly.

"Be that as it may," Anya said, slipping into the chair beside him. "It's for you to decide. You see….well….there's this dance…"

"Yep," Mal said, interrupting her. "Just like I said. Something for your Mama to decide."

"It's on Osiris," Anya blurted out. "And there's no need to ask Mama for permission to go to the dance if I can't get to the planet somehow." Seeing Mal's frown, she added quickly, "It's a really important dance, Captain Mal, or I wouldn't even ask." She looked up at him hopefully. "Please?"

Much to Mal's horror, a little part of his heart melted as he saw the hope shining in the child's eyes. He wondered what it was about Anya that always tugged at him so. Sighing, he said softly, "Osiris is a long stretch from here, Anya."

"I know, but I charted it," she said. "And if we leave now, we could be there in time for the dance, and be back in time for Captain Marcus' wedding….if he could postpone it for a few days." She looked up at Mal, blushing. "And I think he would postpone it too, if he knew how important this dance is."

Mal inwardly cursed the time River had spent teaching the young girl how to chart a course. Choosing not to point out the relative insignificance of some teenage dance when compared to Marcus' wedding, he said instead, "All the same, Anya, it's a long way."

To his dismay, Anya's lower lip began to tremble. "But if we can't go, then Jared will have to take some other girl to the dance," she whispered, her tender heart breaking at the thought of another girl in the arms of the boy she was certain she would love forever, or at least a year or two.

"So it's still this Jared fella'," Mal said, more by way of filling the increasingly uncomfortable silence as Anya struggled to get control of her raging teen hormones. "Seems to me that if he's the kind of young man he oughta' be, he wouldn't be thinkin' on taking another girl to the dance."

"It's the social event of the year," Anya said in defense of her young love. "I couldn't expect him just to stay at home and miss it, just because I can't get anyone to take me there. I mean…he says that just everybody who's anybody will be there."

"Well, Anya, that ain't the case," Mal said as gently as he could. "'Cause we're somebody, and we're not going to be there." Seeing her crestfallen expression, he added, "Just haven't got the fuel to spare, nor the coin to fund the trip. I'm sorry, child."

Seeing the first tear spill over her lashes, he swallowed thickly and rummaged around in his pocket for a tissue. "There'll be other dances, Anya. I promise."

She blew her nose loudly. "Nobody on this boat ever wants me to spend any time with Jared," she wailed. "Just because he doesn't come from a family of ex-Browncoats...and his Daddy isn't a…." She stopped, embarrassed that she had almost said "criminal."

"Don't believe I ever have known what Jared's father does for a living," Mal said smoothly, handing her another tissue.

Anya snatched it from his hand. "What does it matter?" she snapped. "It isn't like we'll ever be together anyway, from the look of things." So saying, she rushed from the room, crying with all the pent-up emotion of a teenaged girl denied her way.

Mal sighed, watching her go and wondering how it was that he would live through her pubescent years. River slipped into the doorway Anya had just vacated. "And once she's done, it will be Hannah's turn," she observed.

"Don't remind me," Mal said ruefully. "Just…don't."

"There's an 83% probability that you will live through it," River said, grinning. "Although, of course, there are several variables that may reduce that percentage substantially."

"Beginnin' to think your brother ain't wrong about the 'brat' thing," Mal growled, though his voice was shot through with warmth.

"There's a high probability that he's correct in his assessment," River said, smiling as she slipped into Mal's lap and kissed the tip of her ai ren's nose.

XXXXXXXXXX

Pierre turned on the light above his sink and leaned toward the mirror there. Turning his head from side to side, he followed the line of tiny stitches delicately with his fingertips. Though he was no surgeon, he could tell that the work was exquisite. Already a thin line of pink, near-perfect skin was beginning to form over most of the small incision areas. Abruptly conscious of having held his breath, he exhaled sharply and drew in a deep, satisfying abundance of sweet air. He took a step back and peered into the mirror again, imagining for a moment that he looked into the face of a stranger. Were that so, he pondered, would he have immediately noticed the thin slivers of scars that now framed his face? Or were they just more visible to him because he knew that they were there?

No way to know such a thing, he decided, breaking his gaze away from the reflection reluctantly. Only time would tell how he would heal, and how his new face would be received by the general population. He sighed, equal parts relieved to see such progress and alarmed by what it all might mean.

As he reached to turn off the light, a knock sounded at his door and Marcus strode in. "You got a minute?" he asked.

"Always," Pierre replied, looking up at his friend and Captain.

Marcus paused abruptly, staring at his pilot.

Pierre smiled. "It isn't as bad as all that, is it?" he asked lightly.

Recovering, Marcus returned the smile. "Just haven't seen you up close since the last surgery," he said. He cleared his throat. "Looks good….really good."

Pierre gazed intently at Marcus, trying to decide if the man was being sincere or merely kind. Satisfied after a moment of silence, he smiled, "It does, doesn't it? I was thinking of quitting this life of crime and embarking on a modeling career."

Marcus grinned, glad the somewhat awkward moment had passed. "Wouldn't quit my day job just yet," he said, his voice tinged with gentle merriment. "Speaking of which, I just got a wave from Bill Rogers. Has some cargo needs movin'. By happy coincidence, it's right here on Greenleaf too. Figure it'll take no more than a couple of days, and we can pocket some coin, 'stead of sittin' around any longer."

"You sure that you'll be back in time for the wedding if we do this job?" Pierre asked.

"Nothing's gonna stop me from being here for the wedding," Marcus replied. "I'd say I've waited long enough, wouldn't you?"

Pierre held up his hands in mock surrender. "Just asking," he replied.

"Yeah, well, you worry about piloting and I'll worry about the deadline," Marcus said, turning on his heel to go. "Set the course for Verbena."

"Aye, aye, captain," Pierre replied sardonically.

XXXXXXXXXX

Anya flung herself facedown onto her bed, rattling the frame with her frustration. Normally calm by nature, now she was shaken by the intensity of the emotions swirling about in her head. Captain Mal was usually her strongest advocate other than her mom, Zoe, and to have both of them so resistant to the very idea of Jared was almost insufferable to her way of thinking. They didn't know him like she did, she thought angrily. Nor would they ever, if she was continually denied the opportunity to introduce him to them properly. And he was just so sweet, she thought longingly, and so very swai. The real issue, she was certain, was that Captain Mal and her mother, and really everyone on Serenity, thought of her as just a little girl, despite the fact that she was almost thirteen. The idea fueled her ire. It was obvious to her that something would have to be done to get the adults on Serenity to realize that she was practically grown. Sitting up on her bed, she rested her chin on her knees and began to think about just how to make that point abundantly clear.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I wish you wouldn't go on a job right now," Elizabeth said.

Marcus smiled and gave her a glancing kiss at the corner of her mouth. "Won't be for long, darlin'. And besides, if I can find the right job, there'll be coin enough to let the ship sit for a bit longer whilst we go somewhere nice and quiet for our honeymoon."

Elizabeth could not help but smile, never able to resist the wicked twinkle in her lover's eyes. "Seems to me that Pierre and the others could do a job now and then without you," she replied. "I mean, both he and Bear are perfectly capable…"

"But Murdocke would be with them," Marcus interrupted her. "Not so sure letting those three loose on the 'verse is a great idea anytime." He grinned at the thought. "And besides, if I'm out of your hair for a bit, you and Inara can do that whole shopping thing….maybe find your dress for the wedding."

Elizabeth nodded, warming to the idea. "That would be nice," she said, wavering a little. She had found the dress she had very much wanted to wear, but it was made cruelly unsuitable by the angry red scar that the madman Robert had left between her shoulder blades in an unsuccessful attempt to kill her. Since then, she had scarcely had the heart to look for a replacement. It was time to put it all behind her, she decided, and a good way to start that process would be to find a new dress that would dazzle Marcus as she walked down the aisle on their wedding day. A new dress for a new beginning, she thought.

As if he was capable of reading her thoughts, Marcus pulled her into his arms. "Better than nice," he said, his lips brushing deliciously along the tender flesh of her neck. "Can hardly wait to see you, all dressed up….and to unwrap you later."

His throaty chuckle was swallowed by Elizabeth's kiss.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, I was thinking," Murdocke began.

"Oh God," Pierre interrupted. "Why is it that every time a sentence starts like that, we end up in go se up to our pigu?"

Murdocke grinned. "Why, Pierre, you've gone all cynical-like," he said. "And here I thought you'd have a much rosier disposition now that you've got a pretty-boy face."

"Pretty boy or not," Pierre replied lazily, "Nothing good generally comes from your twisted thought processes."

"Anyway," Murdocke pressed on, ignoring the barb from the pilot of the Hit or Miss. "Have you given any thought to what to do for Marcus' bachelor party?"

"He plainly told us he didn't want one," Bear interjected, throwing a card into the middle of the table.

"All the more reason to plan a surprise," Murdocke replied, picking up the card with a grin.

Intrigued despite himself, Pierre leaned forward. "What kind of surprise?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could talk to Captain Reynolds…."

As Murdocke laid out his plan, Pierre and Bear listened carefully. And unable to quite hide their grins, they found themselves in the unusual position of agreeing wholeheartedly with their engineer.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

'**Til Death Parts Us**

**Part III**

Authors: just slumming and Midnight Obsidian

Rating: PG

Summary: Anya makes an inadvisable deal with Adam, and complications ensue.

Note: Thanks, ebfiddler, for suggesting that we include a small reminder note about the timeline of this story. At this point in this version of the 'verse, we are about 10 to 11 years past the BDM, for those who keep track of such things. My, how time flies when you're having fun!

XXXXXXXXXX

"You've got to swear, Adam Reynolds," Anya said, her brows drawn together in stern disapproval of her young friend. "I'm gonna go, and that's all there is to it. But if you tell…." She stepped toward him, invading his space. "Remember how many times I haven't told your parents about something you've done."

Adam looked up at her in dismay. "It ain't the same," he insisted. "What if somethin' were to happen to you? You may think you're grown, but you're not, you know." He raised himself to his full height, which was still considerably shorter than that of his current antagonist.

"I can take care of myself," Anya replied, stuffing her duffel bag angrily as she spoke. "And besides, part of the way there I'll be on the Hit or Miss anyway. Captain Marcus wouldn't let anything bad happen to me."

"But he won't even know you're there, if you stow away," Adam said angrily.

"That's right," Anya replied. "And you're not gonna' tell him or anybody else."

Adam sighed in frustration. "You won't be able to hide it. My mama's a Reader, you know."

Anya paused for a moment, struck by that indisputable fact. "But she hasn't come to stop me," she said after a beat. "So, she must not know yet." She looked at Adam speculatively. "How come she hasn't figured out it was you that broke the leg off the couch in the common area?" She paused, a thought coming into her determined head. "You can shield some things from her, can't you?"

Adam began to shake his head in denial, not wanting to pursue this particular line of thought. Anya shook his shoulders. "Tell me the truth, Adam. You can, can't you?"

Adam looked into her intensely blue eyes, and his shoulders slumped. "Sometimes," he said. "But it ain't always foolproof or nothin'. Most of the time, she finds out … eventually. I…" He stopped for a moment, gathering his thoughts for a last ditch effort at keeping his best friend from doing something stupid. "I can't always keep her from knowin' a thing."

"But you can try, right?" Anya said hopefully. "I mean, if you can just keep her from knowing for a little while, I'll be gone far enough she can't read me, right?"

"Ain't makin' no promises," Adam said, realizing that he had lost this particular battle before it had begun.

Anya leaned down and gave him a hug. "It'll be all right, Adam. I promise I'll be careful, and I'll come back home as soon as the dance is over. Okay?" When he did not reply, she tried again, shaking him slightly. "Okay?"

Adam sighed. "Just….just be careful, Anya," he said. "And get back home quick as you can."

"Love you, Adam," she said, fastening the last clip on her duffel and slipping it over her shoulder. "You're a good friend."

Adam watched her go, thinking that if she was wrong, they were both in a 'verse of trouble.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a good way to lie on the exam bed. "Don't know why I have to be here," he grumbled, as Simon set up the equipment for his check-up. "Clear as day that I'm healin' up all right."

"Well," Simon replied, "If you hadn't sent Hannah in here to dress me down about your inability to support her weight, we wouldn't have to do this."

Mal could not contain a lopsided grin. "She gave you what-for, huh?"

Simon nodded. "She was most emphatic about it. Indicated that she was quite displeased with my work." He paused. "She's certainly a lot like her mother. As I recall, River was always…."

"A brat," Mal finished.

"Exactly so," Simon said. Turning serious, he added, "But since you're already here, it might be a good idea to have a real check-up."

"Can't we just fake it for the kid?" Mal whined, sounding very much like a two-year-old.

"I have to report back to Hannah," Simon said. "And you wouldn't want me to say that I couldn't do my job effectively because you…"

"All right, all right," Mal said, waving off the rest of Simon's words. "Let's get it over with." He wondered how it came to be that what he had intended as a joke at Simon's expense had landed him on the exam table. So much for gorram planning, he mused as Simon began the scan.

There was silence for a few minutes as the scan hummed quietly, steadily making its way over Mal's mending bones. Mal resisted the urge to wiggle, as Simon always restarted the scan if that happened. 'Sadistic son of a…' Mal's thoughts were interrupted by the beep of the machine. "What's that sound mean?" he asked uneasily, noting Simon's frown.

"Probably nothing," Simon replied, in that preoccupied way that always grated on Mal's last nerve. "Quite likely just a glitch…" His words trailed off as he began to run a diagnostic program on the scanner.

"What kinda' glitch?" Mal demanded.

"I won't know that until I've run through the diagnostic program," Simon replied coolly. "Be still."

"For how long?"

"That depends," Simon said, as if he were talking to a recalcitrant child.

"On what?"

"Would you just please be still?" Simon asked, exasperation tingeing his tone.

Mal blew out a deep breath and lay back down on the exam table, his thoughts taking a decidedly dark turn. In moments, he shifted on the table, uncomfortable lying so flat with his multiple wounds.

"What part of 'still' are you unsure about?" Simon asked.

"What happened to that cool, collected bedside manner you used to have?" Mal asked, admittedly enjoying needling his medic and brother-in-law.

"It has been undoubtedly hampered by the company I keep," Simon replied blandly. "You can go, by the way."

"What?" Mal asked. "You're already done?"

Simon could not hide his smile. "Never started," he replied smugly. As Mal levered himself up from the exam table sputtering, he added, "Perhaps you might think about the inadvisability of sending Hannah in as your patient advocate next time."

Swinging himself down with the aid of his crutches, Mal scowled. "Can still blow you out the airlock anytime, doc."

"Perhaps," Simon said, smiling still. "But then you'd have to deal with my sister."

"Good point."

XXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth looked at her reflection critically in the mirror. "What do you think?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Inara.

Inara nodded. "It's beautiful," she acknowledged.

Elizabeth stroked her hand gently down the soft blue silk, admiring the way the material shimmered softly like moonlight on water. "Not exactly a standard color for a wedding dress," she murmured.

"Does that matter?" Inara asked, genuinely curious.

Elizabeth smiled. "Not so much, I think," she said. "My wedding….I get to say what's what, don't I?"

"I'd say you do," Inara said. "And of all the ones you've looked at, I have to say that this one is just….spectacular."

Elizabeth blushed with the praise. Noting the way the dress emphasized the color of her eyes, she decided it was indeed the very thing she had been looking for all afternoon. "You think Marcus will like it?"

"Undeniably," Inara replied. "Unless I miss my guess, he'll be speechless."

"Just so he can get out the words "I do"," Elizabeth laughed, slipping the dress off carefully.

"That IS something to consider," Inara agreed.

Elizabeth suddenly looked at her watch. "Best be getting back to Serenity," she said. "It's getting late."

Inara smiled, knowing that the reason Elizabeth wanted to hurry had more to do with the thought that she might miss a wave from Marcus than that the shadows were lengthening into twilight outside the small shop. "You go ahead and get dressed. I'll gather up the things you've chosen and take them to the clerk."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said with a grin. "I'll be right out."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Nothing?" Mal asked. "You can't see anything?"

River shook her head. "Nothing," she confirmed miserably. Mal noticed the small tremor in her clenched hands and felt a moment's regret for pressing her for information she clearly didn't have.

Zoe's jaw tightened, frustrated beyond belief that River's abilities seemed useless at such a critical time. Anya was gone, her small duffel missing as well as her favorite clothes, one of Wash's stuffed animals, and the one decent dress she owned. Zoe was not overly given to moments of panic, but after nearly a full day of searching for the child, she was on the verge of something very much akin to it.

Jim stopped pacing and came to stand at her side. "She can't have gotten far," he said tensely.

"Far enough," Jayne replied grimly. "We're on a gorram dock, after all. Ain't no tellin' which ship she coulda' got on."

"She had no money for a fare," Kaylee said, somewhat hopefully. "Surely no one woulda' just let her on a ship for free, and her just a young'un."

Mal tried not to think of reasons someone would have let Anya onto a ship illegally. Best not to go down that road, he thought, leaning heavily on his crutches and inwardly cursing the way they slowed him down from the search for the precious child.

"She had money," Zoe announced, her voice strained as she thought of the little purse that Anya had been carefully squirreling away coin into from the odd jobs she could take part in with the crew.

"Enough for passage somewhere?" Mal asked.

"Most like," Zoe replied. "If it wasn't too far."

His earlier conversation with Anya scrolling through his head, Mal said to Jayne, "Check with the dock master then. See if any ships are bound for Osiris. Maybehaps she's still dirtside in one of 'em."

Adam stared studiously at his toes, caught in a dilemma. He knew he'd promised, but Anya might have gotten into some real trouble this time, and maybe he should tell what he knew. He cleared his throat, unsure of what to do.

Mal looked over at his son. "You got something to say, Adam?" he asked.

Adam blushed bright red, caught in his father's intensely blue eyes. He hesitated.

Mal moved quickly, heedless of his healing injuries. "You know anything about where Anya's gone, it's time to tell me, son."

Adam gulped hard.

"Son," Mal continued, reaching for a last wisp of patience. "Anya's too young to be out and about by herself. If she's gone somewhere you know of, even if she told you not to tell, you'll be doing her a kindness to tell me now…before something happens."

Swallowing with difficulty, Adam whispered, "She stowed away on the Hit or Miss," he said. He looked up into his father's eyes. "She said she could get on another boat when they docked in Verbena and get to Osiris that way. She said it would be all right. She's aimin' to come back soon's she can. She promised."

Mal turned back to where River had been just in time to see her sprint toward the bridge to wave the Hit or Miss crew. The rest of the crew followed. After what seemed an eternity, Marcus' face appeared on the screen.

Noting the lines around Zoe's mouth and the way the entire crew of Serenity was gathered around the screen, Marcus asked, "What's wrong?"

"Anya's gone," Zoe said.

"Gone?" Marcus repeated. "How? When?"

"Apparently with you," Zoe replied.

"What do you mean, with me?" Marcus asked, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"We think she stowed away on your boat. Just look for her," Jim said impatiently. "She's somewhere on the Hit or Miss."

"Give me an hour," Marcus said, slipping into command mode. "It's a big ship, and she's a little girl."

"One hour," Mal agreed, trying not to think about the possibility that she had already slipped past the crew of the Hit or Miss and bought passage on another vessel.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

'**Til Death Parts Us**

**Part IV**

Authors: just_slummin and Midnight Obsidian

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just playin' in Joss' sandbox…again.

Rating: PG

Summary: The search is on for Anya, and Adam faces the music.

XXXXXXXXXX

Marcus stood still for a moment, listening intently for the sound of another person breathing, preferably a near-teenage girl with more determination than she had any right to have. But he could hear nothing but the roar of his own pulse in his ears and he cursed silently. It was going to be bad enough to tell Mal and Zoe that he could not find Anya, but gorram it if he did not love the young girl his own self as well. He closed his eyes, picturing her pretty blond hair, her beautiful blue eyes, the smile she had that lit up a room. And he thought about how she had been so open to Pierre, not letting the pilot's former appearance deter her from showing genuine kindness to the man.

That openness, that willingness to befriend others was what made Marcus' blood run cold now, as he thought about where the child could be, and what danger she could be in. The 'verse was sometimes a terrible place, and Marcus had seen his share of its horrors with his own eyes. Shaking himself out of that morbid train of thought, he removed the cover over the main air vent in the room and peered inside.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jim paced like a caged tiger, in stark contrast to Zoe, who sat completely immobile at the helm of Serenity. "What is taking so long?" he muttered darkly.

"It's a big ship," Zoe replied, her voice even.

Jim bit back an angry retort, knowing that for all her outward calm, Zoe was in a dangerous mood. Jim felt the strong need to hit something himself, to feel the satisfying pain of fist connecting to a deserving target. But in this case, there was no deserving target, no one yet determined on which to vent his wrath. However, if by some merciless twist of fate, Anya had managed to disembark before the crew of the Hit or Miss had seen her and some other ship had taken her somewhere, he would have targets aplenty, he thought grimly. Looking at his wife's profile, he realized he would probably have to stand in line for the privilege.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Let me talk to him," River said, a little more forcefully than she had the first time. "You're too angry."

"Gorram right I am," Mal hissed. "If anything happens to that girl because he didn't tell us…"

"What?" River said, a small pulse beating in her temple as she stared down her irate husband. "If anything happens, what?"

Mal forcibly unclenched his fists and sighed raggedly. "If he'd just told us, River, there wouldn't even be any question about where she is. And now…well now, what if it's too late?"

River swallowed convulsively, her liquid brown eyes heavy with sadness. "Being angry with Adam won't change anything for the better," she said tiredly. "He feels badly enough about it already." For a moment, her mind caught a flash of her son, sitting on his bed waiting for news of Anya and wiping hot tears from his cheeks. "Just let me talk to him, ai ren."

Mal nodded, barely able to speak past the cold lump of dread in his throat. "Go ahead."

River nodded and padded quietly down the stairs and to her son's room, feeling Mal's eyes fixed solidly on her back until she slid Adam's door quietly shut behind her.

"I'm sorry, Mama," Adam said immediately, looking up at her with miserable eyes.

River nodded and sat down on the bed beside her son. "I am too, Adam," she began. "I'm sorry that you didn't feel that you could come to your father and me as soon as Anya left."

Adam shuddered, his thin shoulders hunched as he stared fixedly at the floor. "Didn't want to tell on my best friend," he murmured.

"Adam, look at me," River said firmly. When he complied, she went on, "I understand that Anya is your best friend. And I know that you two share things like a brother and sister, since you live together on Serenity. But, there are times that you have to do what is in the best interest of a friend, even if your friend doesn't want you to. Being a friend is about caring for someone, and looking out for someone just like you would look out for yourself." She paused for a moment, her heart breaking at the single tear that now ran down her son's face. "Do you know why what Anya did was wrong and dangerous?"

Adam swallowed thickly. "'Cause she'll be alone out there with maybehaps some people who are bad people," he whispered.

"That's one reason," River agreed. "And Anya is too young to be making decisions about where she can go and with whom she can be. I know she seems much older sometimes than she really is, but she is just a girl, Adam. And someone of her age, on her own, is a very vulnerable person." She suppressed a sliver of memory of just how vulnerable a young girl could be in the hands of the wrong people.

Adam's lips quivered. "Is she gonna be okay, Mama?"

"I don't know," River answered honestly. She cocked her head to the side for a moment, thinking. "Do you?"

"No," he whispered. "I can't hear her anymore. She's too far away, I think."

River nodded. "You know that everyone on Serenity and everyone on the Hit or Miss will do everything we can to find her and bring her home. But Adam, you must promise me something."

"What, Mama?"

"You must promise me that you will not keep secrets from your father and me," she responded. "We love you, Adam, and we love our whole family on Serenity. And there can be no room for secrets in our family. Do you understand?"

Adam nodded, his mouth too dry to speak. River sighed again, knowing that to ask her Reader child to promise not to keep secrets was akin to asking a fish not to swim. How to help him learn the balance between revealing things that would harm someone and revealing things that would do nothing but help a situation was a problem left better for another day, she thought tiredly.

Licking his lips, Adam whispered, "Mama?"

"Yes, baby mine," she said, drawing him closer to her.

"I wish…" he began wistfully. "I wish it had never happened."

"Me too," River said sadly. "But it did happen, and now we have to deal with it. Right?"

Adam laid his head on his mother's shoulder. "Is Daddy really, really mad at me?" he asked in a small voice.

River considered her answer carefully, skating thinly between honesty and compassion. "He's upset about the situation," she said finally. "He's very worried about Anya, and very disappointed that you did not trust us enough to tell us what was happening earlier."

Adam nodded, stricken by the thought that his father was disappointed in him. His tears fell onto River's dress. "Think it would help if I told him I was sorry?"

Before River could answer, Mal's voice came from behind the door. "I know you are, son," he said, sliding the door open. "I know." He held out his arms to his boy, holding River's steady gaze as Adam ran to embrace him.

"I'm expectin' you to make better choices if this ever happens again, dong ma?" Mal said gruffly as his arms closed around Adam.

"I will," Adam said, relieved to feel his father's love in his mind, though it was shot through with worry for Anya. "I will."

And over Adam's head, River smiled softly at her anxious husband.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm sorry, Mal," Marcus said. "We've looked everywhere we can think of."

Mal inhaled deeply, searching for words for a long moment. "Thanks for lookin', Marcus. It was a kindness."

Marcus nodded and watched the vid screen go black. He scrubbed his hand over his eyes dejectedly. "Have to say that was one of the worst pieces of bad news I've ever had to deliver," he said tightly.

"Couldn't be helped," Pierre replied, though his own hands gripped the arms of his chair more tightly than absolutely necessary. "We've looked all over the ship. I can't think of another place she could have hidden."

"I wonder if she was ever onboard at all," Bear sighed. "I didn't find any evidence of her having been here. Did anybody else?"

The four men shook their heads. Marcus sighed. "Best thing at this point is to walk the docks and see if anybody's taken her on. If we're lucky, maybe we'll catch 'em before they break atmo." Turning to Pierre, he said, "You stay here, in case she comes back…or in case Mal waves again with good news. We'll be back as soon as we can."

Pierre nodded and watched Marcus, Bear, and Murdocke leave the Hit or Miss heading in three different directions to cover the most ground in the shortest time. Thinking that it might be time to remember how to pray again, he headed back to the bridge and sat looking out at the dusty landscape.

After a few minutes, he became aware, with that innate sense of a man who makes his living with a gun, that there was someone moving stealthily toward him. Reaching his gun with lightning speed, he turned to face his assailant.

"Ggaahhh," he sputtered, narrowly avoiding shooting a very frightened looking Anya where she stood.

She held out her hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "It's me," she breathed out a little unsteadily.

Thinking that several years had just been shaved off his lifespan, Pierre holstered his weapon. "I see that," he managed to get out. Willing his heart to stop galloping madly, he took a moment to really look at the girl. What he saw did nothing to improve his pulse rate. Her dress was torn, hanging from her slender shoulders by barely a thread and there was a bruise forming, obscenely purple against her pale wrist.

"You okay?" he ground out, half dreading the answer he might hear.

She shuddered once, seeming to realize for the first time how she might look. Pulling the tatters of her dress back together self-consciously, she said in a small voice, "I am now that….that I'm here."

Pierre was seized of a sudden desire to rip out some hundan's throat with his bare hands. "What happened? Who did this?" He motioned sharply to her dress.

She looked down at her attire. "The Captain of the Dreamcatcher," she said.

Pierre bolted up, ready to do violence. Anya grabbed his arm, stopping his progress. "It's not what you think," she said quickly, a deep blush rising from her chest to her hairline. "He didn't…I mean, it's my fault my dress is torn."

Pierre drew in a deep breath. "Are you going to tell me what happened or not?"

Anya sighed. "I didn't think it all the way through," she blurted out. "I mean, I didn't know how much coin it was gonna' take to get me to Osiris." She licked her lips nervously, seeing the barely contained violence still burning in Pierre's eyes. "I mean, I thought that if I could get this far, maybe I'd have enough for the rest of the trip. But, when I slipped out of the Hit or Miss this morning when everybody was out on the job, there were only two ships on the docks that were even going to Osiris, and when I asked how much they wanted for a fare…" She paused, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. "…I didn't have anything near enough."

"Go on," Pierre prodded, waiting somewhat impatiently to hear how she had come to sport such a bruise.

Anya swallowed thickly, ashamed now to tell him the rest of the story. Deciding to get it out in one long rush, she said, "So, I thought I'd sneak onto the Dreamcatcher and stow away like I did on your ship. Only the Captain saw me, and he yelled for me to stop. And I started running, but his legs were longer and he reached out and grabbed my wrist." She looked at her wrist, marveling at how quickly it had turned purple. "And I was scared, so I…well, I kicked him in the shin…and he let me go for a minute. So, I started running again, but he was closing the bay door to trap me in…and I had to jump…and my dress got caught somehow on the doorframe….and then I got all the way out and ran back here."

Pure, sweet relief coursed through Pierre's veins, and he released the breath he had not been aware of holding. "That's all?"

Anya nodded soberly. "That's all."

"Do you have any idea how very stupid what you have done is?" he asked, sitting down before his rubbery knees gave way.

"Yes," she said quietly, ducking her head.

Pierre nodded. "Good," he said. "Because I don't ever want to hear that you've done anything like this again. Dong ma?"

She nodded silently.

"We need to wave Serenity," Pierre said.

Anya turned pale. "Couldn't we just wait a little longer?" she asked, thinking of what would happen when she had to face Zoe.

"No," Pierre said, hitting the buttons with more force than necessary to send the wave. "And I don't envy you having to face your mother." Listening to Anya's audible gulp, he thought for a moment how very glad he was that he was not a father. 

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	5. Chapter 5

'**Til Death Parts Us**

**Part V**

Authors: just_slummin and Midnight Obsidian

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Still just playin' in Joss's sandbox.

Rating: PG

Summary: The Hit or Miss crew's plans for Marcus swing into effect.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Can't hardly believe you didn't demand Anya come home right this instant," Mal said, looking at his best friend with equal parts relief and confusion.

"No need to make Marcus have to make two trips, 'specially since he's got just the one day longer to go to get the job done," Zoe replied. She paused for a moment, looking out at the dust of the Greenleaf docks. "And, if you want to know the truth of it, I expect I'm gonna need at least until the Hit or Miss docks back here to wrap my head around why she'd do such a stupid thing to begin with. 'Magine it will be all I can do not to wring her neck when I see her."

Mal nodded, figuring as much. "Parenthood ain't exactly for sissies, is it?" he agreed. "Can't wait for 'em all to grow up strong and independent, and then just as sure as spittin' that it'll kill me when they do."

Zoe smiled, though it was a bit tight around the edges. "Least you got a few years before you have a teenaged daughter." Sighing, she turned on her heel and headed toward the infirmary.

"You feelin' all right?" Mal called after her.

"Headache," Zoe replied.

Mal nodded, thinking that his own head felt less than perfect after the day they'd just been through.

XXXXXXXXXX

Marcus strode purposefully down the docks toward the Hit or Miss. His pockets heavy with coin from the job, he marveled at how smoothly it had gone off, except of course for the whole thing with Anya. Barely two days out and already he and the crew could head back to Greenleaf a sight more prosperous than they were when they left. Thinking with pleasure about just how he and Elizabeth might spend the coin on their upcoming honeymoon, he did not notice anything amiss on the docks of Verbena.

Bear met him at the door of the Hit or Miss. "Think we got a problem here, boss," he said more softly than one would think a man his size could talk.

Marcus frowned. "What makes you think so?" He looked around suspiciously. "And why aren't the engines running?"

Bear shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Well, about that…" he began. "Whilst you were closin' the deal, me and Murdocke were gettin' things ready for leavin'."

Marcus nodded, impatient now to hear the rest.

"And, um, well…."

"Just tell him," Murdocke barked, striding into the bay area like a bantam rooster. "Wasn't our gorram fault."

A small pulse began to beat unpleasantly under Marcus' right eye. "What wasn't your fault?" he asked, his voice rising with alarm.

Looking somewhat chagrined, Bear sighed. "Long story short, we're landlocked."

"Because?" Marcus asked, motioning with his hands for the man to continue.

"There was a random check," Bear replied. "Just a random check on the docks for proper registration papers and such." He paused, looking meaningfully at his captain.

Marcus frowned. "So?" he asked. "Why didn't you just show 'em the papers?"

"We did," Murdocke said, unable to suppress a small grin. "Seems they didn't take kindly to the idea that we were in possession of a stolen ship."

"What in the sphincter of hell are you talking about?" Marcus asked. "Hit or Miss ain't stolen. Been mine free and clear for…." He paused, suddenly struck by the recollection that currently the Hit or Miss did technically belong to Malcolm Reynolds since the transfer of registration in preparation for the wedding ceremony later in the week. Cursing his sentimental wish to be married with Mal officiating aboard the Hit or Miss, he muttered, "Gorram it!" Stomping toward the bridge in no small amount of agitation, he added. "Can NOT believe I'm having to deal with this go se now."

Bear and Murdocke walked steadily behind their captain, exchanging a small smile at his expense.

Murdocke said, "Best be trying to get in touch with Captain Reynolds, Marcus. Dock master says that we're grounded until he gets confirmation from him that we're authorized to use the ship." He grinned widely, aware that Marcus was about an eighth of an inch away from a serious meltdown.

"Fine," Marcus thundered, cursing the need to ask someone else for permission to fly his own gorram ship.

XXXXXXXXXX

Half a day later, Marcus still sat fuming on the bridge of the Hit or Miss. "No luck, huh?" Pierre asked, sliding into the co-pilot's chair with his typical grace.

"No," Marcus growled. "Where in all the 'verse can they have gone? I've been waving Serenity for hours."

Pierre shrugged nonchalantly. "Could be they're out celebrating the fact that Anya is here safe with us. Or maybe…" He suppressed a wicked grin. "…maybe they're all getting ready for the wedding."

Marcus swallowed uncomfortably. "She's gonna kill me, you know."

"Who?" Pierre asked, as innocently as he could muster.

"You know who," he replied miserably. "Elizabeth didn't really want me to even take this job so close to the wedding. And now….well now, it looks like I'm not even gonna be there on time. You got any idea how dangerous that woman can get when she's mad?" He looked over at Pierre balefully.

Pierre rubbed the new skin along his jawline thoughtfully. "Yeah, I can see as how it might be a problem when you finally get back to her. It's a real shame."

"And come to think of it, where the Devil is she?" Marcus interjected. "Why hasn't she gotten in contact with me?" He jumped up and began to pace the length of the bridge. "It does look like a woman who's about to marry would be a mite more concerned about her fiancé."

"Could be she thinks we're already headed back," Pierre supplied. Unable to resist needling his captain a little more, he added silkily, "After all, she has no reason to assume otherwise. You DID promise her you'd be back on time, right?"

Punching up the wave coordinates for Serenity one more time, Marcus sighed. "Yeah, I did. And that's most likely the thing that's gonna get me killed in short order."

XXXXXXXXXX

On board Serenity, Mal watched the little light on the console blinking impatiently.

"How long are you going to ignore the wave?" River asked, slipping into his lap.

Mal grinned. "Marcus' crew said to wait at least another hour or so. Apparently, he's not worked up into quite enough of a lather to suit them just yet."

"Mal…bad in the Latin," River said, smiling.

"Yep," Mal agreed lightly. "I am a very bad man."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Captain Reynolds, may I have a word?" Elizabeth asked some time later, sticking her head onto the bridge.

"We're back to "Captain" now?" Mal asked. "Thought we'd got past that and were on a first name basis, considerin' all that's happened."

"We were," Elizabeth replied smoothly. "That is, until I found out about your little ruse." She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the nav console. "Care to explain yourself?"

"Wasn't my idea," Mal began to back pedal.

"Um hmm," Elizabeth said. "So I was given to understand. But you do know that if this wedding gets postponed, everyone responsible will be in significant go se, right?" Her blue eyes flashed with fire. "Dong ma?"

Mal held up his hands in mock surrender. "The Hit or Miss crew've got it all figured out. They'll get him here on time." He grinned, his own eyes twinkling with merriment. "Of course, I can't guarantee what kinda' mood he'll be in when he gets here…"

Unable to keep a straight face any longer, Elizabeth grinned. "So long as you're sure he'll get here….I'll grant it serves him right for cutting it so close on the job. Mind if I join in the fun?"

"I was just about to wave him," Mal replied. "But, by all means, be my guest." Relinquishing the pilot's chair to Elizabeth, Mal added, "So long as I can stick around and watch."

"Certainly," she responded. "The more the merrier."

There was silence for a moment as she tapped in the wave coordinates for the Hit or Miss. Putting an appropriately ingenuous expression on her face, she waited for a response. She didn't have to wait too long.

Marcus started talking before the screen completely coalesced. "Mal, where in the sphincter of hell have you been?" he began, only to see Elizabeth's face instead. "Oh," he stammered, his face feeling suddenly a few shades redder than he would have liked. "Elizabeth…honey…I wasn't expectin' you."

"Obviously not," Elizabeth said, widening her eyes innocently. "Is there something wrong, dear?" She paused for effect. "You are on the way back, right?"

Marcus gulped. "Well…about that…"

"Because we've got a kind of big day coming up, if you remember," she continued, seemingly ignoring his stammer.

Marcus cleared his throat. Deciding to bite the bullet and confess his dilemma, he said, "Well now, bao bei, there's been a little problem."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "What kind of problem?"

"Nothing I can't handle if I can get hold of Mal," Marcus quickly assured her, alarmed by her change of expression.

"Marcus Hazzard, if you've done something to prevent getting here in time to marry me…"

"I'm landlocked," he admitted quickly.

"What do you mean, landlocked?"

"Elizabeth, I swear by all that's holy, it ain't my fault this time. It's the paperwork…and the magistrate… and…." He gestured helplessly.

Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. In a low voice, she said as seriously as she could manage, "If you don't want to marry me, Marcus, all you have to do is say so. You don't have to go to such extravagant lengths to avoid it." As she spoke, she saw Pierre behind Marcus, signaling quietly over his head. Nodding almost imperceptibly, she went on. "I mean, I think you at least owe me that."

"Bao bei," Marcus said, "Please believe me. I wanna marry you…I swear I do. It's just a problem with the local magistrate, and Mal should be able to clear it up well enough. Just get him for me…please, darlin'." Focused so intently upon convincing Elizabeth to let him off the hook for the problem, Marcus did not notice Bear and Murdocke joining Pierre behind him.

"I don't believe you," Elizabeth said. "I don't believe you're really landlocked at all."

The frustration Marcus had been dealing with all day threatened to completely overtake him. "You think not, huh?" he said, steaming now. "Watch." He began pressing buttons on his nav console, fully expecting the controls to be as unresponsive as they had been all day. To his dismay, the Hit or Miss hummed to life, its engines betraying him with a traitorous roar. He sat back, stunned. "But…but…what the…," he stammered, as Pierre, Bear, and Murdocke broke into loud laughter behind him. "When…Gorram it, what's going on here?" he thundered.

Mal leaned over Elizabeth's shoulder, coming into the frame of the screen for Marcus to see. "My friend, I believe you have just been had."

Blinking rapidly several times, Marcus got the joke. Swinging around to face his crew, he said, "You know I'm gonna kill you, right?"

Pierre wiped tears of mirth from his cheeks. "Just kill Murdocke. This whole thing was his brainchild."

"Didn't notice any of the rest of you trying to stop me," Murdocke replied, grinning widely.

Marcus turned back to the screen and glared at Mal. "And you wouldn't be safe either, if I didn't need you to marry us," he said. "Speaking of which…" He turned his attention to Elizabeth, who was also grinning like the cat that ate the canary. "I've got a bone or two to pick with you, too. You are in such trouble when I get home."

"I can hardly wait," she replied, her eyes twinkling at him with just enough mischief to set his mind to thinking of other things entirely. "Hurry home, ai ren."

"Oh, don't you worry," he replied. "We'll be at full burn in about two seconds." And flipping the switch to end the transmission, he thought about what delicious revenge he would exact upon his crew after the wedding was done and their guards were down.

XXXXXXXXXX

To be continued


	6. Chapter 6

'**Til Death Parts Us**

**Part VI**

Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em…more's the pity.

Rating: PG

Summary: For Marcus and Elizabeth, the moment has arrived, and Mal gives the ceremony his best shot.

XXXXXXXXXX

Mal stood looking at his crew and wondering exactly how he had managed to be in the uncomfortable position in which he found himself. He wished fleetingly that his discomfort was merely a result of standing on his own two feet again without the aid of Jayne's crutches for the moment. However, the larger problem of the hour was what might come out of his mouth when he tried to officiate at the wedding.

"Will be just fine," he heard in his mind as surely as if River had said the words aloud. "Just another Captain'y duty to perform."

He looked at her sharply, frowning slightly at her mildly teasing tone at a moment like this. Unrepentant, she gave him a beatific grin and brushed the soft silk of her midnight blue dress with a cat's grace, repairing the slight wrinkle Hannah's hand had left there.

Looking around, Mal realized he was not the only one in distress. Despite her beautiful dress, Anya stood stiffly beside Zoe, looking for all the world like a girl headed to the guillotine. Having overheard the beginnings of the conversation between his best friend and her suddenly wayward daughter about what would be happening after the wedding regarding Anya's punishment for running away, Mal understood the girl's expression perfectly. Zoe was, after all, a fierce woman when crossed. Of course, as Anya seemed to be in possession of a similar stubbornness, Mal could only imagine what life would be like on Serenity for the foreseeable future.

Other than that, however, he had to admit that his crew cleaned up nicely. Simon, dressed in some of the last of his pretty fits from his pre-Serenity life, stood linked arm in arm with Kaylee while Daniel swung on Simon's leg with one elbow hooked loosely around the man's knee. Kaylee wore a smile that lit the place, her hair pulled back in a relaxed heap at her neck. One would never know she'd spent half the night before decorating the hall of the Hit or Miss for the wedding.

Jayne pulled impatiently at the collar of his new shirt, a gift from Inara and altogether too starched for his liking. But Mal had to admit, it did look good on the mercenary, almost respectable in point of fact. Catching Inara's frown, Jayne dropped his hands away from his collar and scowled. Inara slipped her hand from beneath the spray of flowers she held and for just a moment squeezed Jayne's hand. Watching Jayne instantly melt, Mal had to admit there were certain Companion skills quite useful in situations such as this.

Soft music suddenly filled the hall, and Mal straightened his back and took a deep breath. Pierre, looking almost startlingly handsome with his newly repaired face, walked to stand across from Inara. Mal could not help but think what a stunning couple the two would make, though the thought felt traitorous somehow with Jayne standing right there. Apparently, the thought crossed Jayne's mind as well, and he shifted on his feet, subtly moving closer to Inara.

His attention momentarily diverted, Mal turned to see Marcus striding down the aisle. Outwardly none the worse for wear despite his crew's recent prank at his expense, Marcus looked surprisingly calm and collected for a groom. Catching Mal's eye, he smiled as he took his place beside Pierre.

The music abruptly stopped and a half-muttered curse escaped Murdocke's lips as he fumbled briefly to change the tune. For once shooting Marcus a genuinely apologetic look, he breathed a sigh of relief as a new piece of music began to play.

Marcus turned and caught his first glance of his bride. For an instant, the 'verse stopped spinning and he was aware of everything around him in that preternatural way that comes with life-altering moments. Elizabeth walked slowly, her light blue silk dress clinging softly to her curves and shimmering like a living thing in the candlelight of the hall. Her long hair was piled in a neat chignon at the nape of her neck, tiny blonde tendrils escaping and fanning out to gently frame her face as she moved.

She looked steadily at Marcus, their eyes locked on each other in silent communication of all that they were and would be to each other. Drawing a deep breath, she slipped her hand under his elbow and they both turned to face Mal expectantly. Time slipped back onto its normal track and Marcus's hand closed over Elizabeth's gently.

The music stopped, and for one awful moment, Mal could think of nothing that he had planned to say. It was passing strange to him that he could walk into battle and never lose the gift of gab, but somehow here and now, he found that his mouth was dry as cotton. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Well," he began, seriously considering a short prayer in the form of a plea for inspiration. "Here we are, gathered together today to…uhm…see to the marriage of Marcus and Elizabeth."

"Wait a minute," Marcus said suddenly. Everyone turned to look at him in astonishment. "We're on the dock. Mal, you don't have the authority to marry us unless we've broken atmo." Chagrined to have forgotten that pertinent fact in all the planning, he turned to River and asked, "You mind doing the honors?"

River smiled. "No problem," she said, putting Hannah's hand in Adam's. Whispering in his ear, she said, "Don't let her go until I get back."

Adam nodded, holding his sister's hand tightly, pleased inordinately with the responsibility.

Everyone stood quietly, as if they were afraid that if they moved about, something would go in its predictably pear-shaped manner. But within just a few minutes, the satisfying hum of the engines began, and the Hit or Miss lifted off the docks of Greenleaf gracefully.

As River slipped back into the hall and took her place again, Marcus turned back to Mal, drew a deep breath and said, "All right. Let's get this thing done."

Mal nodded. "As I was saying, we're all here to see to the wedding of Marcus and Elizabeth. I conjure there's some kind of words as are s'posed to be said at this point, but being as they asked me to do the talkin', I imagine they don't much hold to the normal way of gettin' hitched." There was a small ripple of laughter among the crews. "That being said, I'll do the best I can," he continued. He glanced at River briefly, before turning back to the couple. "It seems to me that marriage is a hopeful sort of thing, a belief that things in the 'verse ain't so bad that a good life can't be carved out of it. And while it ain't for everybody…" He paused, trying hard not to look at Inara and Jayne. "For those as choose it, it can be a pure thing of beauty. If folks are of a mind to make it work, it brings rewards aplenty. And were I a betting man, I'd bet on the two of you to make it for the long haul." Realizing with astonishment that he was getting misty-eyed, he scowled to hide the sentiment. Clearing his throat, he added, "So, that's about all I got to say on the subject. You got something you wanna say 'fore I wrap this up?"

Marcus nodded. Retrieving a gleaming wedding band from Pierre's outstretched hand, he turned to Elizabeth and slipped the ring on her trembling finger. "Guess this is the part where I say that I want to take you as my wife. Got to admit that I thought I might not ever find a woman as I wanted for the rest of my life. I haven't exactly had the best of experiences in the romantical department before you came onto my boat. And there've been some times since that I wondered if we were gonna make it. Living in close quarters with me ain't the easiest thing in the 'verse, I imagine." He paused, his lips turning up into a small smile that somehow still reached his eyes and warmed Elizabeth to the bone. "But you make it look easy. Can't help but love you for that, can I? So, here now today, before these witnesses, I'm pledgin' my life and my love to you, Elizabeth Stryker. From this point forward, I aim to be beside you as your husband, your friend, your partner, your lover, and anything else you need of me, until death takes us."

Elizabeth swallowed past the lump in her throat. Slipping his new ring on his finger, she said softly, "I've thought of a thousand things that I could say to you at this moment. So many things that you have brought to life in me, so many joyful things that you have given me since we first met. But words seem inadequate somehow, now that the time is here to say them. So, I will simply say this. I pledge here today, before these witnesses, that I will be your wife, your friend, your partner, your lover, for today and all the tomorrows we are granted in this life. You are my heart and soul, Marcus, and will ever be."

They stood gazing into each other's eyes, oblivious to their friends around them, their hands entwined tightly. Jumping slightly when Mal cleared his throat again to break the moment, they turned sheepishly back to the temporary Captain of the Hit or Miss.

"Well now," Mal said. "I gotta say that was right beautiful, as weddin' speechifyin' goes." Looking out at the small crowd and singling out Murdocke for a warning glance, he said, "So unless there's someone as has an objection to these two gettin' hitched…" He paused briefly, and continued. "…it's my honor to pronounce the two of you husband and wife." He grinned, delighted he'd managed to get this far without any major screw-ups. "Go ahead and kiss her, Marcus. We got a party to get to."

Marcus pulled Elizabeth to him tightly, his hands splaying across her back as he bent her smaller frame to his for a long, deep kiss. Breaking away only when they both needed air, they seemed to suddenly realize they were not alone. Turning around to face their friends, Marcus said a little more huskily than he wanted, "Mal's right. It's time for a party." And motioning Murdocke to start the music, he twirled his new bride out onto the floor for a dance.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know I'd rather dance with you," Inara whispered in Jayne's ear. "I just danced with Pierre first because he was the best man and I was the maid of honor."

Jayne scowled. "Best man, my pigu," he said.

Inara chuckled. "It's just a figure of speech. We both know who the best man here is, now don't we?" She pressed her hips more closely to his, the slow friction of the dance doing to Jayne exactly what she wanted to be done.

"Sweet Yesu, woman, you are wicked," he growled low in his throat.

"You have no idea," Inara replied, her tongue dancing lightly against the shell of his ear, setting his mind to thinking of much more pleasant things than Pierre.

XXXXXXXXXX

Simon stood on the periphery of the group, watching Kaylee dancing with Murdocke with somewhat mixed results. "The man might be an engineering genius, but he's not very light on his feet, is he?" he said to Anya.

"Not very," she agreed, enjoying herself despite the upcoming comeuppance she was expecting from Zoe. Her toes began to tap to the music, and she couldn't help but think of the dance she was currently missing with Jared.

Seeing her smile slip from across the dance floor, Pierre put down his glass of punch and walked over to her. "Miss Anya," he said, bowing deeply from the waist, "Would you do me the honor of this dance?"

"Be glad to," she said eagerly, her young heart fluttering with excitement, Jared momentarily forgotten as Pierre led her onto the floor.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You might have to deal with her with a little more…finesse than you're used to," Jim whispered to Zoe as they danced close enough to Anya and Pierre to see their daughter's shining eyes. "She's growing up, you know, whether we're ready or not. And all in all, with the exception of what's just happened, she's been making the right kinds of choices, don't you think?"

"Doesn't take but one bad choice for something to go permanently pear-shaped," Zoe sighed, shaking her long hair back behind her shoulders. "I gotta admit I ain't exactly found the right balance yet."

"You, my dearest, are the epitome of balance," Jim said, gripping her more tightly to him and nuzzling her neck with his lips.

"You tryin' to distract me?" Zoe murmured.

"S'it working?" Jim's voice was muffled against her jawline.

"Mmm hmm."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mind if I cut in?" Mal asked, tapping Bear on the shoulder. "Thought I might take a swing or two around the floor with my wife, least as well as I can with this leg."

Bear grinned. "Be my guest. She dances too fast for me."

When Mal's strong hands settled gently around her waist, River smiled slowly. "You never dance…publicly," she said happily.

"Yeah, well, maybehaps it's time to change that habit," he said, his voice low and gravelly against her ear as she molded her body to his. "Watchin' Marcus and Elizabeth, just startin' out and all, makes me remember our wedding. Shoulda' danced with you then, I'm thinkin'."

"Danced with me later that night," River replied. Dropping a mental image of the nature of that very private dance into his head, she laid her head against his chest and listened to the increased rhythm of his heart.

"That ain't fair," he chuckled, knowing exactly what his wife was doing.

"But it is fun," she replied.

"That it is, my little witch," he agreed, thinking ahead to the rest of the night to come. "Think Marcus and Elizabeth would be insulted if we went back to Serenity a little early?"

River grinned. "Doubt it, since they ducked out about a half hour ago themselves."

Mal looked around quickly, wondering how he had missed their departure. "Can't say as I blame them," he said, tightening his grip on his wife and thinking that loving someone so thoroughly was indeed an act of hope. "Let's go home." And they did.

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Midnight Obsidian and I would like to thank you for tuning back in after our long absence to read another tale from the 'verse. As always, it was a pleasure for us to write, and we hope it was a pleasure for you to read as well. There are more tales of the 'verse to tell, but those will have to wait for another time. 'Til then, happy reading and writing to you all!


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